Switch



- v. 4, 1969 v R. c. POWELL 3, 476,

SWITCH Filed Aug. 5, 195

INVENTOR.

pa/v/yzp a pan 14 United States Patent SWITCH Ronald Cecil Powell, LosAngeles, Calif., assignor to International Telephone and TelegraphCorporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 5,1968, Ser. No. 750,092

Int. Cl. H01h 9/26 US. Cl. 200--5 .1 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREBackground of the invention This invention relates to the switching art,and more particularly to a plural push buttonswitc'h. I

In the past, push button switches haveliad a complicated constructionexpensive to fabricate and to maintain.

Summary of the invention In accordance with the device of: the presentinvention, the above-described and other disadvantages of the prior artare overcome by providing a pluralityof the mating triangular insulatingplates which are shifted by push buttons in between pairs of springbiased contacts. All plates but one at a time slide between and; keepall but one corresponding pairs of contacts from making through holes inthe plates.

The invention may incorporate plates of an identical construction. Theinvention therefore, has an uncomplicated and economical construction.

The above-described and other advantages of the present invention willbe better understood from the following description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings In the drawings, which are to beconsidered as merely illustrative:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the switch of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of thedevice shown in FIG. 1;;and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device.

Description of the preferred embodiment In the drawing in FIG. 1 ahousing of an insulating material 10 is provided includinga base 11 anda cover 12. Three pairs of contacts are provided; one pair of which isindicated at 13 in FIG. 2. Contacts 14 and 15 are fixed to leaf springconductors 16 and 17 which are fixed to base 11 by rivets 18 and 19,respectively. Output leads are provided at 20 and 21.

Note will be taken that contacts 14 and 15 are spring biased intoengagement through a hole 22 in a triangularly-shaped insulator 23.Other triangularly-shaped insulators 24, 25, 26, and 27 are alsoprovided in housing 10.

3,476,890 Patented Nov. 4, 1969 All of the insulators 23, 24, 25, 26,and 27 are identical.

Push buttons to actuate the switch are provided at 28, 29, and 30.

FIG. 3 is atop plan view of base 11 with cover 12 removed.

Cover 12 may be fixed to base 11 by any convenient means. I

Push buttons 28, 29, and 30 have slots therein as indicated at 31 inFIG. 2.

Insulators 24, 25, 26, and 27 have holes 32, 33, 34, and 35 therethroughidentical to holes 22 through insulator 23. Holes 32 and 34 are notnecessary to the operation of the device, and can be omitted if desired.

In one of the three alternative switch positions, a pair of contacts 36may meet through insulator hole 33. Similarly, a pair of contacts 37 maymeet through insulator hole 35.

If it is desired that contacts 36 engage each other and contacts 13 bedisengaged, push button 29 is pushed downwardly as viewed in FIG. 1. Inthis case, contacts 36 will engage one another through insulator hole33. At the same time, insulators 33 and 34 will be pushed to the left asviewed in FIG. 1. At the same time, insulator 23 will be pushed upwardso that contacts 13 cannot engage each other through hole 22.

In the same manner, if push button 30 is depressed, all of theinsulators 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 will be moved to the left. Insulator23 will again rise. Contacts 13 and 36 will therefore be insulated andcontacts 37 will engage one another through insulator hole 35. p

In the same manner, push buttons 28 and 30 will cause contacts 13 and 37to meet if depressed after push button 29 is depressed. The same is trueof push buttons 28 and 29 after push button 30 has been depressed.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the switch of thepresent invention may be made of relatively inexpensive component parts.Insulator 23, for example, may be multiplied two or several other times.Many of the parts of the invention may therefore have an identicalconstruction. The switch of the present invention is thereforerelatively easy to fabricate and to maintain.

Many changes and modifications of the invention will, of course, suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art. The particular embodiment shownand described herein is therefore not to be considered a limitation uponthe invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A switch comprising: a housing having a longitudinal slot; at leasttwo pairs of electrical contacts spring biased toward each other; first,second, and third triangularlyshaped insulating plates slidable in saidhousing slot; and a push button located over said first and thirdplates, said first and third plates having apexes pointing toward saidcontacts, said second plate pointing in a direction opposite that ofsaid first and third plates, in between the same said first and thirdplates having holes therethrough through which corresponding sets ofcontacts may make, said push buttons being movable to a position insidesaid housing to cause all three of said plates to move in unison betweencontacts in a manner to allow only one pair of said contacts to makethrough the hole in one corresponding plate.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said push buttons haverecesses to straddle corresponding plates, said housing having anaperteured cover to encompass said push buttons, said push buttonshaving lateral flanges to engage said cover, said contacts being mountedon leaf the shape of an equilateral triangle.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said push buttons haverecesses to straddle corresponding plates. 4. The invention as definedin claim 1, wherein said housing has an apertured cover to encompasssaid push buttons.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4, wherein said push buttons havelateral flanges to engage said cover.

'6. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said 10 contacts aremounted on leaf spring conductors.

7. The invention as dfiened in claim 1, wherein said angles.

References Cited UNITED STATES -PATENTS- 3,183,315 5/1965 Kiely.3,239,629 3/ 1966 Lesser.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner I. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner US.Cl. X.R. 200-61.19, 153

